The muscular system is made up of over 600 muscles. The muscles in the body are designed to contract and move – when a muscle contracts, it pulls on any bones that it is attached to and this creates movement in your body. This shows that there is a very close link between the bones of the skeletal system and the muscles of the muscular system – the combination of the two systems determines our body shape and enables movement to occur. The muscular system also works to stabilise joints as they move and protects our vital organs.
There are three types of muscle – click through the slides below to find out more.
Skeletal muscles
The majority of the muscles in your body are skeletal muscles and it is these muscles that cover your skeleton, giving the body its shape. Skeletal muscles are also known as ‘voluntary muscles’. This is because you have control over the movement of these muscles – when we want to move, our brain sends messages and our muscles contract.
Smooth muscles
These are muscles that work automatically (they are ‘involuntary’) – they have to contract in order to keep important body functions working. For example, you have involuntary muscles in your stomach that help you to digest food.
Cardiac muscles
These are a form of involuntary muscles that exist only in your heart. Cardiac muscles work constantly to make sure that your heart is beating correctly.
Now move on to the next page to learn more about muscles and how they create movement.
